Through Demons
by Nyodrite
Summary: At age six, Hatake Kakashi died during the Chūnin Exams- he didn't stay dead, or not in that sense.
1. Prologue

**0**  
_**To Kill**_

* * *

"The winner is..." Kakashi panted behind his mask as he forced himself to keep his eyes on his opponent and chakra running through the ninja-wire he was using to keep the teen immobile- encouraging such with pulsing Raiton chakra. "Hatake Kakashi!"

Match over, he gratefully stopped using his chakra- noting his opponent slip from the slack wiring- and glanced towards the crowd and searching for Tōsan standing beside Sensei. He ignored how the proctor disappeared to the Hokage's seat and his opponent moved closer to him- previous opponents had congratulated him and, if the teen were to do so also, he would acknowledge that only after he saw his father's and sensei's reactions.

He spied Sensei first, the blond grinning with pride and gesturing towards him as the jōnin spoke with Kushina. It took him only moments after to find Tōsan, a shadow of worry and fear in his expression that was almost entirely covered by the proud and relieved smile over his win, with Jiraiya around his father's shoulder as the Sannin gestured enthusiastically.

It was then that he allowed himself to feel the bubble of self-pride, pleasure and excitement over having won the Chūnin Exams' tournament at _six years old_.

"_No_..." His opponent whispered furiously and Kakashi, tired and exhausted to the point where he just _knew_ he was going to pass out soon, was turning sluggishly when he felt the metal going through his back. "I refuse to lose to a- a _freak_ like _you_!"

Sensei was shouting, "Kakashi!"

"_Kakashi!_" And Tōsan.

Jiraiya was also, though further from him, "Kushina-chan! Get Tsunade! She should be in the medics' area underground!"

He glanced to see what was in him and found the- previously- unused wakizashi. For a moment he simply stared at the blade, ignoring Sensei and Tōsan, as he tried to figure out why he wasn't feeling any pain- in fact it seemed as if a..._numbness_ was spreading from the wound to the rest of his body...

_Oh._ He blinked as it hit him and he looked up at Tōsan, worried and fearful and practically snarling at anyone whom came near and watching him with a hopeless helplessness that made him _ache_, and managed to say, "Poison."

Then he simply _collapsed_...and stumbled forwards- _through Tōsan_.

"What?" He asked, twisting to look with wide-eyes as Tōsan cradling his body then down to see the _he_ was no longer injured but that a _chain_ was coming from his chest and connecting to the limp not-him Tōsan was holding.

"Kashi, Kashi- _Kashi_." the chain snapped as Tōsan nosed and snuffed his hair.

A dull throbbing pain shot through him as Tsunade came at a run with Kushina at her heels, and he saw that the chain hanging from his chest was consuming itself but he couldn't work up any kind of feeling before Tsunade was declaring him dead.

Again he blinked, _Oh_.

Tōsan _howled_.

* * *

**A/N: **I killed whelp!Kakashi! Well, sort of since this _is_ a Bleach crossover...still!

Since this will be following Kakashi and he's _dead_, this story will be mostly in the Bleach'verse. Kakashi's death does change things in the Naruto'verse- like the fallout of Minato watching the death of his first student or Sakumo outliving his son- so there _might_ be a companion fic of the Naruto'verse that follows Sakumo and Minato after Kakashi's death.

**_Next:_**

_Meeting teal eyes, Kakashi blinked back his incredulity and wondered just how common white-haired prodigies were._


	2. Chapter 1

**1  
_Always an Exam_**

* * *

"_You're_ Hatake Kakashi?" the woman blurted, looking up from her clipboard.

This reaction wasn't unfamiliar, at least it didn't _feel_ unfamiliar, so he answered with a simple, "Yes."

"Right, well," the woman said, appearing to rally herself. "Are you aware of the admission process?"

"Anyone is able to apply regardless of social standing," He answered easily as he wouldn't try for a school, regardless of it being the _only_ school, that he knew nothing about. "But actual admissions are determined by an exam and a demonstration with a student's placement in a class, should they be accepted, depending on their exam results."

Once again she seemed off balanced, apparently used to having to inform people of the process. "...that is correct. Well then, Hatake-kun, please go through the door on the right and down the hall until you reach the door at the end. That is where you will be taking the entrance exam, there should be a sign that has 'E-H' on the door."

Kakashi paused a second to see if there was more but, as she simply went to the door he had entered from to call out another name, left through the aforementioned door without comment. The hall was white with wooden flooring and, as it were more of an outer part of the building, had windows lining his right with doors (thick wooden ones that muffled sound) lining the left, albeit more spaced out. In front of him he saw another person, the one called before him, whom was both larger and older then him entering the door at the end of the hall that housed the mentioned 'E-H' sign.

It didn't take long to each the door, certainly not long enough for someone to follow, but the person had already sat down before Kakashi entered the room himself- ignoring the looks and mutterings he earned, he took a moment to look at the room.

The room had a large green chalkboard, framed by windows, taking up wall space at the front with an uplifted- albeit only by a single step- stage immediately before it. The stage was made of darker wood then the floor and had a wooden block-like podium centered at it's front, the podium having squat wooden fencing on either side to separate the stage from the rest of the room, where a man stood with large boxes at his feet. Beyond the stage were the applicants whom were sitting at desks (each 'seat' had an inkwell and dip pen which made sense as there was no guarantee that everyone knew how to use brushes) that were divided into three columns and sixteen rows with each row being on a different step, the desks in the middle column were the longest and sat twelve applicants each while the other two columns had only six.

He took a seat at the first column, first row and fifth seat- being one seat from the aisle- before staring forwards in silence as the mutterings grew louder.

It wasn't that he _wanted_ to become a shinigami, per say, but that he wanted the benefits that came with training to become one- the foremost being housing and food provided for him. Kakashi also wanted to be able to learn about the world he was in, of who was in charge and what their goals were but, mostly, he wanted to learn about the not-chakra they used to fight the, well, _monsters_.

While he couldn't explain _how_ he knew, Kakashi knew that chakra was part of every living thing, made up of a mixture of spiritual and physical and could be used to preform jutsu (though his knowledge of jutsu was rather limited). Not-chakra was also spiritual but he would say that mental took the place of physical, it sat like a well when unused but pouring out when used with it kind of _dripping_ constantly as if to leave a footprint, it was also entirely unique for each person where as chakra could be generalized by color and type and was similar between family members.

Chakra also seemed..._submissive_, in a way, to not-chakra or, possibly more accurately, more subtle then not-chakra- it was as if the not-chakra's very presence smothered chakra's in such a way that no one else was even aware that it _existed_.

He was dragged back to the present by an exclamation, "There's _two_ of them!?"

Meeting teal eyes, Kakashi blinked back his incredulity and wondered just how common white-haired prodigies were.

"Oi!" the man whom was at the podium shouted over the mutterings while the _other_ white-haired boy sat beside him. "Sit down and shut up!"

The examiner grabbed a stack of papers from the first box and handed them out to the first row of the first column then returned to repeat the process. The stack was divided into smaller stacks that were held together by a clip, the first person in the row taking a smaller stack before passing them down until it reached Kakashi who took his own stack and passed the last to the boy next to him. From there he took the clip off, separated his own exam from the others before passing the remaining (having to stand on the bench to do so) back to the person in the row behind him, pulling the inkwell and dip pen closer to him before retaking his seat.

"Fill out what you know, skip what you don't and hand me your exam when you're finished. When you're done you are free to leave, be back tomorrow at _ten_ to see if you are able to proceed." the examiner ordered, "There is to be _no_ talking. You start now."

Kakashi grabbed his dip pen, silently appreciative that the wood was smooth, and uncapped the inkwell briefly to dip the tip of his pen into the ink before securing it once more and focusing on his exam.

**Name:  
**_-Hatake Kakashi_

**1) What is** **Kan?**  
_-Kan is coins that are used as money._

**2) What are the three different Kan?  
**_-Kan, Silver Kan and Gold Kan._

**3) What are the rates of Kan?  
**_-1 Gold Kan : 7 Silver Kan : 63 Kan. 1 Silver Kan : 9 Kan._

He had to stop himself from adding _'2 Kan : 1 Ryo'_ to the third and dipped his pen once more, ignoring how it wasn't yet needed, before continuing.

**4) What is a shinigami?**  
_-Shinigami are those whom wield spiritual energies to protect those who live in Rukongai._

Because he doubted that whomever were to grade his exam would be amused with _'People who use not-chakra to fight monsters'_.

On the questions went, asking anything from how much he ate and how often did he feel hungry to what was Reiryoku and what was the difference between it and Reiatsu, progressively getting harder and more complex as he went. He was slightly ashamed to admit that he skipped some questions but was pleased that he answered the majority- though the last few he left unanswered as he knew _nothing_ about Saketsu and Hakusui nor the consequences for a shinigami if both were to be pierced.

As he finished before the one between him and the aisle, Kakashi contented himself with re-checking his answers. He was doodling a Henohenomoheji by his name when the boy set his pen down, gathered his exam and headed to the examiner- he followed after capping his inkwell once more and setting his own pen down. He wasn't sure if he was quicker then the other or if the other had deliberately waited for him but Kakashi found himself exiting the exam room in step with the other white-hair boy. They walked in silence and Kakashi noted that _he _was the shorter of the two, the other's not-chakra felt _icy_ though the other's chakra did not.

It was only when they were leaving the Academy (which was alternately the Shinigami or the Shin'ō Academy) that either of them spoke, "Hitsugaya Toshiro."

"Hatake Kakashi." He returned the introduction, earning a nod of acknowledgement and they fell into silence once more- the silence lasting as they parted ways.

Not having a home, Kakashi spent his time wandering first district of the eastern Rukongai until dusk approached, at which point he found himself targets to pickpocket. From there it was a simple, if mildly exhausting, affair of stealing enough money for a meal and a room under the guise of a genjutsu as genjutsu, while effective, were exhausting in a way that puzzled him as he just _knew_ that what he used shouldn't consume so much chakra.

He fell asleep musing that it was possible that, being _souls_, the spiritual aspect of chakra outweighed the physical which in turn created problems with usage...

Kakashi woke up later then he wished and had to forgo breakfast in order to make it to the Academy on time. While he didn't make it before the others, he made it before the time limit- albeit close enough to earn himself a glare by the examiner from the previous day, something he ignored as he shuffled into the open seat next to Hitsugaya.

"Here is where we start whittling out those of you whom have _not_ passed," the examiner announced. "If your name is called, you are to leave as you will _not_ be admitted. Eads Ami."

A teen, nearly a woman, let out a curse as she stood and left- from there on they sat in a tense silence, size shrinking steadily. For his part, Kakashi held his breath when the examiner reached 'H' as he truly didn't want to spend more of his life stealing- not out of a moral stance but due to knowing that, practically, he was going to get caught at _some_ point and then punished.

He nearly slumped in his seat in relief when his name went unmentioned as 'Ha' passed to 'He'- some time later, Hitsugaya let out a breath when 'Hi' went to 'Ho' without his name being uttered.

Idly, he wondered what made it so important for Hitsugaya to pass.

* * *

**A/N:** And Kakashi's back in school but at least he's not the only white-hair, chibi genius. Also, I am _that_ much of a nerd that I looked up writing utensils before settling on the dip pen. (Ps. _Why_ isn't there more info on the Academy, _whhyy!?_)

What is with chakra?  
I will say that since they are souls and thus don't have a physical body in which is traditional for chakra-users, shinigami (and other souls) don't have a balance of spiritual-physical to utilize chakra effectively and thus it is overlooked since they _can_ use Reiatsu.

What is with the various Kan?  
Kan is the Soul Society's currency. It is also a _coin_ which, given that prices exceeding the 100s is not uncommon judging by the prices that are known, is really impractical- hence the Silver and Gold Kan. (Also, since 2 Kan = 1 Ryo, 1 Kan = 5 Yen).

Kakashi's a thief?  
Yes. He's a _shinobi_ who woke in a strange place with nothing more then what he was wearing, why _wouldn't_ he resort to stealing?

I plan on the two having a sibling-like relationship, which one do you think would be the 'Niisan' of them?

_**Next:**_

_Kakashi really should have expected that the faculty would want to room the two 'child-geniuses' together._

* * *

**Omake:**

Meeting teal eyes, Kakashi blinked back his incredulity, "I have a _clone_?"

"No." Toshiro denied bluntly, adding, "Besides, I am older so it would be _me_ whom has a clone."

Peering at the- minutely- taller, Kakashi hummed, "Should I call you _Niisan_? People are going to claim we're related anyways."

"Exactly." muttered Toshiro, "No need to assist the gossipers."

Ignoring this, Kakashi continued on musingly, "Though, emotionally, _I_ have more experience since I was a shinobi so perhaps _I_ should be Niisan..."


End file.
